There are hundreds, if not thousands, of substances that are used to modify behavior. While different classes of substances have known effects, one has only to see a group of people drinking to excess to recognize that not everyone responds in the same way to a given substance. Why do substances have the behavioral effects they do, and why do individuals vary in their responses to them? This book provides a conceptual framework for answering such questions. Introduction to Behavioral Pharmacology includes a short overview of behavioral analysis and general pharmacology, followed by detailed discussion of assessment of drug effects, the stimulus properties of drugs, drug abuse, and more.

This book collects the contributions of a number of clinical psychiatrists all over the world, interested in developing basic research about anxiety and in applying it in clinical contexts. It is divided into four sections, covering general issues about anxiety (ethological and developmental ones), basic research issues on specific aspects of anxiety (bioanatomical ones, correlation with personality structure and so on), and new clinical and therapeutical proposals and hypothesis. Each author summarized the clinical importance of his work, underlining the clinical pitfalls of this publication.

Behavioral Pharmacology of Drug Abuse: Current Status, Volume 93 provides an update on our current understanding of animal and human behavioral pharmacology in major classes of drugs of abuse, including nicotine, alcohol, opioids, psychostimulants, and hallucinogens, drug-environment interactions, neurochemical mechanisms and medications developments. This volume updates the field of behavioral pharmacology based on new knowledge gained in the past decade. - Provides accurate and updated reviews from selected experts on covered topics - Presents useful graphic material for ease of reading - Covers a wide range of topics that are highly integral to offer a panoramic view of the field of behavioral pharmacology

The molecular genetics of the cholinergic system including both muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, cholinesterases, acetylcholine synthesis and release have provided significant insights into potential targeting for pharmacological intervention. Cholinergic drugs are being used or evaluated for the treatment of diseases. Thus, this volume aims to broaden our understanding of the current state of cholinergic mechanisms to enable implementation of novel approaches for the development of more effective treatments.

Contributors to this book have reviewed research from the fields of metabolic syndromes in view of their own research. The chapters cover the neural mechanisms of food intake and proposed factors related to obesity. The influences of the intake of sugar and lipids are also discussed. The relationships between cancer and venous thromboembolism in connection with obesity are discussed. Omega (ω) fatty acids and trans-fatty acids are risks of cardiovascular diseases. Comparison of plasma levels of trans-fatty acids indicated that industrially produced trans-fatty acids are higher in American than Japanese men. Hopefully, the book provides information that readers want to obtain in the fields of food intake and metabolic syndromes.